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Me and some friends were having a battle and the topic of area terrain came up here are some opinions:

Me: i agree with the rulebook (page 22 of the little one) any model that is behind it gets a cover save.
GaurdsmanTom: I agree with the rule book but not if the target is more than say 6" away from the edge of the cover.
Mathais: I think that you do not get any cover whatsoever if you are standing a fair way behind it (not standing in it)
some random other person: it depends on the size of the model and only if it is fairly close
PS we are refering to the group of small craters in the blast scape set
thanks in advance

PS. We will try and include some pictures soon.

Its all based on TLOS. If part of the model, excluding the base and feet is obscured, it gets a cover save. This is for non-MC models with a toughness.

If your LOS to a model goes between two features of a piece of area terrain, such as between two trees or two tank traps, a model gets a cover save. Monstrous Creatures and Vehicles have to be at least 50% obscurred by terrain features or models in order to get a cover save. It doesn't matter if the model is 2 feet away from the area terrain, as long as your LOS goes through two features of it, the model gets a cover save.

No, you get a cover save if any part of the model's body is obscured! This "two piece" thing is accurate, but it *isn't* the only way to get a cover save. You can get it from (as above) having any part of the model's body obscured, or if they are in area terrain.

Lord_Mortis wrote: If your LOS to a model goes between two features of a piece of area terrain, such as between two trees or two tank traps, a model gets a cover save. Monstrous Creatures and Vehicles have to be at least 50% obscurred by terrain features or models in order to get a cover save. It doesn't matter if the model is 2 feet away from the area terrain, as long as your LOS goes through two features of it, the model gets a cover save.

p22 3rd element, "between some elements of the area terrain" so Yes, but you can define the terrain differently if it was built odd

edit: mis quoted (ie, clicked wrong one)

Klawz wrote:No, you get a cover save if any part of the model's body is obscured! This "two piece" thing is accurate, but it *isn't* the only way to get a cover save. You can get it from (as above) having any part of the model's body obscured, or if they are in area terrain.

Yea, idk what you are talking about. If you are between two pieces of a bit of cover... you get the cover. It is pretty clear in the rulebook. Go read it again maybe?

As for OP, you get cover if you are even partially obscured by something, including terrain, friendlies or enemy models. You get cover if you are IN area terrain. Or you get cover if you are between two elements of the same piece of cover... like two tall trees on a ridge. But really this is all detailed in the "what counts as cover" and "who's in cover" sections of the rulebook. There is even pretty pictures...

Lt Lathrop wrote:

Klawz wrote:No, you get a cover save if any part of the model's body is obscured! This "two piece" thing is accurate, but it *isn't* the only way to get a cover save. You can get it from (as above) having any part of the model's body obscured, or if they are in area terrain.

Yea, idk what you are talking about. If you are between two pieces of a bit of cover... you get the cover. It is pretty clear in the rulebook. Go read it again maybe?

As for OP, you get cover if you are even partially obscured by something, including terrain, friendlies or enemy models. You get cover if you are IN area terrain. Or you get cover if you are between two elements of the same piece of cover... like two tall trees on a ridge. But really this is all detailed in the "what counts as cover" and "who's in cover" sections of the rulebook. There is even pretty pictures...

The way Lord_Mortis posted it, he managed to make it sound like that was the only way to get cover from area terrain.

ultramarinelord wrote:Me and some friends were having a battle and the topic of area terrain came up here are some opinions:

Me: i agree with the rulebook (page 22 of the little one) any model that is behind it gets a cover save.
GaurdsmanTom: I agree with the rule book but not if the target is more than say 6" away from the edge of the cover.
Mathais: I think that you do not get any cover whatsoever if you are standing a fair way behind it (not standing in it)
some random other person: it depends on the size of the model and only if it is fairly close
PS we are refering to the group of small craters in the blast scape set
thanks in advance

PS. We will try and include some pictures soon.

If the model is obscured, the model is...obscured and thus in cover =\

It is recommended in the rule book to call some peices of terrain as "softer" than others (not sure on the rulebooks wording but that gets the idea across) i.e A bush will not offer the same protection as a concrete wall, thus me and my friends play it as a 5+ instead of a 4+.

If you are referring to the "if you fire through more than 2" of area terrain, the model gets a cover save" rule in regards to the small craters in the blast scape set, i find it kinda silly with the craters etc, but then again they are higher than the ground they are placed on, which does obscure LOS to make for a trickier shot- at least everytime I've played paintball similiar little rises have given me strange amounts of grief in the past

The rulebook is very clear about cover and area terrain.
As mentionned, it owkrs with TLOS.
If a model is seen as between two trees form a piece of area terrain, even if he's like 30 inches away, he does count as in cover.

This 6" thing is from 4th edition, I believe.

what about a wave serpent shooting over a crater at a miniature 18" away from the crater edge, it had TLOS with nothing even closely obscuring the miniature, (i was playing with him, this was the specific dispute)

You have answered your own question.

If the shot isnt obscured, no cover save is given.

The one part of this that’s a bit unclear is how you’re supposed to resolve shooting across something you’ve defined as “area terrain” but which has no actual standing elements, to use the “between two elements” part from page 22. I generally see it played that if a piece of area terrain has no tall standing elements, it doesn’t give you cover unless you’re in it.

Mannahnin wrote:The one part of this that’s a bit unclear is how you’re supposed to resolve shooting across something you’ve defined as “area terrain” but which has no actual standing elements, to use the “between two elements” part from page 22. I generally see it played that if a piece of area terrain has no tall standing elements, it doesn’t give you cover unless you’re in it.

Or if it's obscuring part of the model.

When playing with craters I almost always play they don't give cover unless you're inside them. However, they are a little tall and I could see how it could potentially provide cover, but most vehicles, tall models, and skimmers could see over. As long as you decide before hand it won't really matter (though it WILL change how you play)

Adamah wrote:When playing with craters I almost always play they don't give cover unless you're inside them. However, they are a little tall and I could see how it could potentially provide cover, but most vehicles, tall models, and skimmers could see over. As long as you decide before hand it won't really matter (though it WILL change how you play)

Yup. Like in the paintball reference i had before, if the shooter was standing and the target crouching, he would be obscured a little- and we know that our little plastic men don't stand in the same position as they are modelled so in the case of a tall model or a skimmer in this one specifically, TLOS would not be obscured.

haha yea. I've also heard from some contractors that you can keep your principle in surprisingly good cover even laying down next to a street curb. I'm normally ready for every unit I shoot at every turn to be in cover, cuz that's how 5th ed 40k is